Chapter. From Then to Now How the Use of Woodford Lands Has Changed.

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1 Chapter 1 From Then to Now How the Use of Woodford Lands Has Changed. Three plus decades of growth and planning have produced important changes in the land use pattern s of the community. I n 1778, when Kentucky was still a district of Virginia, Woodford County was surveyed and shaped from Fayette County. The county was organized on May 5, 1789 and was one of the nine counties established before Kentucky s admittance to statehood. The County was named in honor of General William Woodford, an officer of the Revolutionary War, who distinguished himself early in the French and Indian War, won a victory at the Battle of Great Bridge, was wounded in the Battle of Brandywine and was captured at the Siege of Charleston. He was taken to New York by his captors and died there in When formed, Woodford County s boundary lines included the Kentucky River to the west, the Licking River to the east, and the Ohio River to the north. Franklin, Scott and other counties were later formed out of the territory. The site of the State Capitol at Frankfort was chosen while still located in Woodford County. Some of the first settlers were deeded 1,000 acre plots of land, which when cleared of timber were used to grow tobacco, corn and hemp. The soil was laden with limestone and very fertile and for this reason the area was nicknamed the asparagus bed of the garden of Kentucky. Versailles, originally known as Falling Spring, proved to be an ideal location for a town because of a plentiful supply of water that gushed from a cavern. The town and county seat was laid out on May 13, 1793, on 80 acres of land owned by Hezekiah Briscoe. The original trustees were Colonel Richard Young, Cave Johnson, Captain John Walker, John Cook and Parmenta Briscoe. General Background Report for the 2003 Comprehensive Plan Update Page 3

2 Marquis Calmes, who was another one of the town s trustees, named it after the Versailles, France, as a tribute to that country for its help during the Revolution. Versailles was the only incorporated town in the county until Mortonsville was established in Midway was next in 1846, planned and built largely through the efforts of the L&N Railroad. The town streets are appropriately named for members of the railroad companies Board of Directors in the 1840 s. Many of the homes and buildings date from 1840 to Land Use Patterns From 1969 Comprehensive Plan (First Woodford Plan) The 1969 Plan devoted a chapter to the inventory and analysis of land uses in Versailles, Midway and Woodford County. It refers to a land use inventory made in 1962 by the Kentucky Conservation Needs Committee 1. The inventory reports that 105,300 acres of Woodford lands were devoted to cropland, pasture and range, representing about 88% of all lands in the County. An additional 10.3% of land area is classified in the forest and woodland category, while the remaining 2% is included as idle land, wildlife areas and other unclassified land. Although it is not clear from the text, it appears this 2% of all other unclassified lands represents the approximate acreage of urban uses within the urban, or builtup, areas of Versailles and Midway. Table 1.1 Summary of Existing Land Use, Versailles and Midway Urban Areas, 1968 Land Use Area in Acres 2 Percent of Category Versailles Midway Total Urban Area Residential Commercial Public and Semi-Public Industrial Streets/Railroads Vacant or Agriculture 1, Total 2, The only definition of urban area that appears in the Existing Land Use Chapter of the Plan is that such areas are comprised of lands within the corporate 1 Kentucky Soil and Water Conservation Needs Inventory, Kentucky Conservation Needs Committee, July, Acreages have been rounded to the nearest whole number from the figures presented in the original data. Background Report for the 2003 Comprehensive Plan Update Page 4

3 limits of the community (Versailles or Midway) and the portion of the built-up area that lies outside corporate limits. It is clear that the USB concept had not yet been fully endorsed for use in Versailles and Midway, although the model for future USB s was already in place in Fayette County. The Plan does recommend the adoption of a service area policy for future development that would indicate which areas could be provided with basic services. Furthermore, the Plan suggests that the service area would be based on the Land Use Plan and include areas where development is definitely expected. In terms of the relationship of corporate area to total urban area, the City of Versailles included 1,305 acres and the City of Midway encompassed 198 acres. Together, these communities represented about 53 percent of the total urban classified lands. What is surprising is that the corporate area of Midway represents less than 40% of its urban area, whereas the ratio for Versailles is somewhat higher at 57%. Whether or not it can be assumed that Midway s ratio is due to a desire for more urban expansion room is not immediately clear from the text. The other data item that stands out from the urban inventory is the percentage of commercial acreage for the two communities. Much of the current commercial analysis literature, particularly related to traditional and mixed use neighborhoods, suggests that 2% of the land area of a development site is a reasonable amount of area to dedicate to neighborhood serving commercial and service establishments. It is recognized however, that the actual percentage of commercial area to total urban area in Versailles was in the range of 6% - a higher number due to the presence of commercial uses in the town center serving the entire county market area. The data for agricultural uses indicates that the total acreage of land in farms declined from 101,356 in 1959 to 96,456 acres in The total number of farms, however, increased from 647 to 654 and the average size of farms decreased from to (Source was the Census of Agriculture, 1959 and 1964). Although some of the decline in farmlands can be attributed to a conversion to urban uses, it appears that most of this reduction occurred as owners determined it was no longer cost effective to maintain moderate or intensive conservation practices to make the land suitable for productive cultivation. Land Use Patterns The 1970 s and 80 s The 1977 Update of the Comprehensive Plan, prepared by the Bluegrass Area Development District, indicates that the number of acres of Woodford lands dedicated to agricultural land uses had decreased by 758 acres between 1970 and Furthermore, urban land uses gained about a half percent or 623 acres (3,930 to 4,553). Background Report for the 2003 Comprehensive Plan Update Page 5

4 Table 1.2 summarizes existing land use information from Tables 4-2 and 4-3 of the 1977 Plan. Although there are some unexplained differences between the data presented in the 1969 and 1977 plans, the predominant urban use is residential. Although the percentage of commercial use is in the 3-4 percent range, this continues to suggest that these uses remain neighborhood and community serving in nature. Most likely, Woodford Countians were traveling to Lexington or Frankfort to shop for most major personal and household purchases. Table 1.2 Summary of Existing Land Use, Versailles and Midway Incorporated Areas, 1975 Land Use Area in Acres 3 Percent of Category Versailles Midway Totals Residential Commercial Public and Semi-Public Industrial Streets/Railroads Vacant or Agriculture Total 1, In addition to reporting a summary of existing urban land uses, the Plan (Chapter 4 Existing Land Use) indicates that the decline in Woodford farmlands that occurred during the period had reversed itself by The number of acres of land in farms increased to 112,645 by 1969, and the number of Woodford farms also increased from 654 to 732. Although it appears that some of this increase may be due to differences in reporting methods for the analysis periods, a majority of the increase was due to farmers bringing more land into active production. The value of farm products sold in Woodford County between 1964 and 1969 suggests that the additional farmland may have been needed to maintain productivity levels since the value of farm products sold did not increase significantly. The increasing trend toward more land in agricultural production continued in the 1980 s. By 1987, Woodford farms totaled 125,299 acres, a 6.4 percent 3 Acreages have been rounded to the nearest whole number from the figures presented in the original data. Background Report for the 2003 Comprehensive Plan Update Page 6

5 increase over the total for Although the number of farms declined, the average size of those farms increased from 162 to 175. The 1980 s also brought a significant change in the type and amount of urban land uses. The table below demonstrates that in 1989 the amount of residential, commercial and industrial lands had significantly increased from levels evident in the late 1970 s. The land use acreage figures indicate that Woodford County is beginning to diversify its employment base with significant new lands in industrial use. The numbers also depict a probable changing trend in the type of commercial uses as more close-to-home major shopping opportunities are available to Woodford Countians and some inroads are being made into tourism associated with the Labrot and Graham distillery and the horse industry. Table 1.3 Summary of Existing Land Use, Versailles and Midway Urban Areas, 1989 Land Use Area in Acres 4 Percent of Category Versailles Midway Totals Residential Commercial Public and Semi-Public Industrial Streets/Railroads Vacant or Agriculture Total 1, Source: Versailles-Midway-Woodford County Comprehensive Plan, Chapter 4, Tables 4-2 and 4-3, Both the 1977 and 1989 Plans address future land use needs and urban service area requirements based on population growth and land use factors that are derived from the existing land use inventories. These factors are described in terms of the number of acres of land required per 100 persons per land use category. The factors developed for the 1989 planning process are depicted in Table 1.4. What the factors indicate is that, for example, every additional increment of 100 people in Versailles will require 11.7 acres of residential land and 2.1 acres of commercial land uses. The residential factors can also be translated into population and dwelling unit density factors. In Midway, for example, the residential factor of 12.9 amounts to a population density of 13 persons per acre, 4 Acreages have been rounded to the nearest whole number from the figures presented in the original data. Background Report for the 2003 Comprehensive Plan Update Page 7

6 or a dwelling unit density of approximately 4.7 units per net acre. The dwelling unit density factor is determined based on average household size statistics. In this case the 4.7 units per acre density would require an average household size of For Versailles, the population density factor was determined to be 8.54 and the dwelling unit density was 3.0, creating a 2.85 average household size factor. Table 1.4 Land Use Demand Factors, Versailles and Midway, 1989 Land Use Versailles Midway Category Acres Factor Acres Factor Residential Commercial Public and Semi-Public Industrial Streets Total Source: Versailles-Midway-Woodford County Comprehensive Plan, Chapter 5, Tables 5-1 and 5-2, To provide some perspective on these factors, in terms of current development practices, the residential factor for Versailles accommodates a development pattern comprised of predominately single-family homes on 8-10,000 square foot lots. The commercial factor of 2.1 acres per 100 persons yields about 18,295 square feet of commercial use, or 182 square feet per person. The latter number is toward the high end of retail commercial factors and assumes the availability of all products types in the market area. Generally, 60 to 80 square feet per person is a factor used to determine requirements associated with food and convenience products acquired in the local market area. The 1989 Plan utilizes population projects and land use factors to determine acreage needs for future development, and ultimately the most appropriate size of urban service boundary areas. On page 5-14 of the Plan, one objective states, to provide sufficient area for the needs and growth of a population in excess of 13,000 persons in such a manner that the supply of land more than meets the demand, recognizing that some land cannot or will not be developed or available for development. It is not clear from the Plan whether this number is solely for Versailles or whether it includes Midway as well. However, the Plan later states that the Versailles Urban Service Area is a 4.5 square mile area roughly centered in the City of Versailles. This translates to an area of 2,880 acres that is roughly 42% larger than the 1,664 acres of existing land uses. When the 403 acres of new uses required by population growth through the year 2010 are added, the 4.5 Background Report for the 2003 Comprehensive Plan Update Page 8

7 square mile urban service area included 813 more acres than actually needed. This amounts to a 28 percent market factor that acts to take into consideration lands that may not be available for sale in the urban service area as well as providing the means for market competition for lands that helps to hold real estate prices in check. The 1989 Plan did not fully address future land use needs for Midway, most likely due to the fact that in 1990 the Bluegrass ADD produced a separate planning document for this community. Although some of the acreage figures are different than presented in the 1989 Plan for Woodford County the factors have not changed significantly. The major outcome is that an additional acres of land would be needed to accommodate future growth of both Midway and Midway College, including an additional population of 553. Table 1.5 Summary of Existing Land Use, Land Use Factors and Projected Needs, Midway, Land Use Midway Projected Category Acres Factor Need (in Acres) Residential Commercial Public and Semi-Public Industrial Institutional Streets/Railroads Total Source: City of Midway, 1990 Comprehensive Plan, Chapter 3, Exhibit 3-1, Land Use Patterns The 1990 s Following the development of the Midway Plan in 1990, additional plan updates for Versailles, Midway and Woodford County were completed for 1992 and Some important facts reported for 1992 include: acres in farms declined to 123,655 acres in 1992; the City of Versailles contained a bit less than 40% of the total County population of 20,853; and the Versailles Urban Service Boundary included approximately 5,100 acres, of which 1,730 acres were within the corporate limits of the city. Table 1.6 summarizes existing land use for both the Versailles and Midway Urban Service Boundary. Background Report for the 2003 Comprehensive Plan Update Page 9

8 Table 1.6 Summary of Existing Land Use, Versailles and Midway USB Areas, 1997 Land Use Uses in Acres 5 Category Versailles Midway Residential 1, Commercial Professional/Office 34 1 Public and Semi-Public Institutional NA 85 Industrial Total Developed Land 2, Total Undeveloped Land 2, Total Acres USB 5, Source: 1997 Update - Versailles-Midway-Woodford County Comprehensive Plan, Chapter 4, Exhibits 4-2 and 4-3, There are other exhibits in the 1997 Plan Update that provide an estimate of the number of acres that may be needed to accommodate projected population growth through the year However, the methods by which these estimates were derived are, at best, unclear and undocumented. The end result of the analysis of existing land use and projections of future land use was that the Versailles and Midway USB s were sufficiently large enough to accommodate future needs. In the case of Versailles, the USB was contracted or enlarged in some strategic locations, although the total acreage remained unchanged. Land Use Patterns Now In the nearly five years that have passed since the 1997 Plan Update was approved, several actions have taken place that will influence the type, direction and pattern of land uses existing and future. A brief overview of each of these actions is provided below. Midway Commerce Center This 180-acre site was formerly the Roach Homeplace Farm and is located in the northeast quadrant of the interchange of I-64 and Midway. The property was recently annexed to the City of Midway and is included in its Urban Service Boundary. A joint project of the Woodford Economic Development Authority (EDA) and the Roach Family, this project is significant in terms of its scope and 5 Acreages have been rounded to the nearest whole number from the figures presented in the original data. Background Report for the 2003 Comprehensive Plan Update Page 10

9 design. It s business incubator and technology/light industry subdistricts provide an opportunity for the creation of new kinds of high wage jobs for Woodford and Midway. The project site design is clearly consistent with the principles of Preserving Town and Country in the Woodford Bluegrass, and it can serve as a model for other integrated workplace and commerce centers. There is also the potential that new relationships will be developed with Midway College to share facilities and opportunities. The impact to existing and future land use patterns should be fully evaluated as part of the 2003 Plan Update process but may include: the potential for additional commerce center development in other quadrants of the I-64 interchange; the impact of commerce uses on existing uses along Railroad Street in downtown Midway; and, the location and provision of market rate and affordable housing to support employees of these new workplaces. Versailles Center Regional Commerce Center Just as the Midway Commerce Center will influence the shape of workplace centers in the coming decades, this project has the potential to similarly shape the form of regional commerce centers. This development project is currently under construction in 2002 and located at the intersection of US 60 and Lexington Road, occupying the northeast quadrant. The drawing below represents the proposed site layout. Background Report for the 2003 Comprehensive Plan Update Page 11

10 It is a combination redevelopment/greenfield commercial development project that employs the principles of new urbanism to create a walkable, mixed-use center composed of several shopping streets with off-street parking located within the interior of blocks. This center will provide a viable alternative to the big box dominated form of retail center, with such uses incorporated within a more pedestrian scale format of street front shops, restaurants and service uses. The impacts that should be considered during the Plan Update include: what market area will such regional centers serve and will other such centers be required to serve either existing or future populations; the availability of close-by market rate and affordable housing for employees and others who wish to live close to where they can shop for or consume convenience goods and services; and, the affect such developments may have on the location of future land uses and the absorption of land within the USB. Versailles and Midway Main Street Programs Within the last four years, both Versailles and Midway have been participating members of the Renaissance Kentucky program. Each has earned silver status and is presently working to accomplish the tasks that will help to achieve gold status. Main Street programs encompass a host of marketing, façade improvement, planning, historic preservation, streetscape design and improvement, networking Background Report for the 2003 Comprehensive Plan Update Page 12

11 and retail management activities designed to reinvigorate the centers of Kentucky s traditional towns and cities. Versailles and Midway have entered into several of these activities, with Midway focusing on streetscape improvements in its Railroad Street district and Versailles focusing on downtown s future role and changing retail market. Although it may not be obvious, these programs can have a significant impact on the land use factors used to estimate future land use requirements. How? Successful programs result in higher commercial use absorption rates within downtowns that lower the requirements for new commercial uses in other parts of the community. Downtowns are also prime candidates for redevelopment, particularly when developer s become aware that the minimal infrastructure costs of a downtown site far outweigh the higher property values. This also has the outcome of reducing land use requirements. Finally, vibrant downtowns that contain a mix of food, convenience and related shopping opportunities generally draw additional residential uses and either reuse or redevelopment of existing sites. (During the next phase of the Land Use Analysis, additional information about existing land use patterns in Versailles and Midway, as well as recent subdivision and rezoning activity will be added to this Chapter.) Summary The review of the land use and USB changes that Woodford County, Versailles and Midway have experienced over the last three decades supports three conclusions. First, Woodford County is beginning to mature as an urban area. This may sound strange given that Woodford County and its towns have been in existence for the better part of two hundred years. What is meant by urban is that Woodford is slowly becoming more than just the rural neighbor to urban Lexington and dependent upon Lexington for major goods and services. The increasing percentage of commercial uses in context with all other land uses, the recent emergence of Versailles Center as a regional commerce center and announcements of new and expanded workplaces are just some of the factors that are indicative of this transition-in-process. The second conclusion is that farming (read cattle and horse operations) has experienced a resurgence in Woodford over the past ten years. When the 2002 Census of Agriculture is released it is believed that the analysis of the period will also support this conclusion. Productive lands for pasture, forage, agricultural production and agri-tourism may be one of Woodford s most valuable commodities in the first part of the 21 st century. Woodford may eventually wish that it could manufacture more of this productive land for the economic stability it provides. Background Report for the 2003 Comprehensive Plan Update Page 13

12 The final conclusion, which is supported in part by the findings from the Community Facilities and Services Background Study, is that Woodford is quickly discovering the value of new development that occurs within areas already adequately served water, sewer and other essential services. The return on the public investment from infill development is much greater than that generated by new development that requires major capital investments in service extensions. This conclusion is also supported by recent announcements of higher density residential development and development proposals in close in locations, the successes of the Versailles and Midway Main Street programs, and location decisions related to the Versailles Center and Midway Commerce Center projects. What do these conclusions mean for Woodford County and the Comprehensive Plan? First, land use factors that Woodford has relied on in the past to estimate future land use needs are no longer representative of the changing character of Woodford land use patterns. Second, previous comprehensive planning efforts have not been as thorough in describing the USB construction process as is necessary to support these areas. In fact, the Versailles USB almost doubled in area during the 1990 s without sufficient documentation for those changes. The USB applications for Versailles and Midway should be reexamined in full during this current plan update and a relevant methodology developed to support the purpose and scope of such areas. Given the growing importance of the supply of high quality and productive agricultural lands, it may also be advantageous to develop a methodology for the maintenance and management of one or more rural service boundary areas. Prior comprehensive plans treat rural areas as non-usb lands. This feature should be reversed and rural areas given a status and treatment similar in nature to USB areas. Background Report for the 2003 Comprehensive Plan Update Page 14